Refrigeration appliances, such as domestic refrigerators, are often provided with an air distribution system, such as an air duct or an air tower assembly, for the purpose of directing and dispersing cold air into one of the freezer and fresh food compartments. Often, the cold air is directed from the freezer compartment to the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator. In bottom-mount refrigerators, the air tower extends vertically between the lower freezer compartment and the upper fresh food compartment to deliver cold air from an evaporator assembly located in the freezer compartment into the fresh food compartment. The air tower may be mounted to the liner included in the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator, and may be partially located in the foam insulation. The air tower is secured to the rear wall of the fresh food compartment, and mates with an opening in the lower wall of the fresh food liner directly above the freezer evaporator. Cold air is then discharged into the fresh food compartment from one or more openings in the air tower.
Air towers generally include various sequentially assembled components. As a result, air towers suffer from air leakage through gaps that may exist between these components. For example, one problem area where such gap may exist between the front-access panel service door for the damper that typically covers the air tower housing. The air leakage through this gap, and other existing gaps, causes insufficient cold air flow through the air tower, making it difficult to circulate the cool air near the top, which undesirably increases the temperature in the top compartment. Therefore, it is desirable to provide an air tower that promotes improved cool air circulation within the fresh food compartment.